Street-car sign



W fina 220215 ZMM ail/f Patented Aug. 27 1 15. l.

i STREET GAR SIGN.

J. M. PETER & w. GARRETT.

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- UNITED STATES PATENT Onrron.

JOSEPH M. PETER AND NINFlELD GARRETT, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

STREET-CAR SIGN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,306, dated August27, 1895.

Application filed June 6,1895. Serial No, 551,809. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH M. PETER and WINFIELD GARRETT, citizensofthe United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county 5 of Hamiltonand State of Ohio, have invented an Improvement in Street-Oar Signs, ofwhich the following is a specification. 7

Our invention relates to that class of street car signs which are madehollow, have two or nated from within, are mounted in bearings on thecar-tops, and are revoluble to enable the presentation of the severalindicator-faces to view in proper succession; and our invention consistsin the novel features hereinafter fully described, and particularlypointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation,partly broken and in section, showing our sign in working position on aoar-roof, the lat-terbeing broken off and shown in cross-section, takenon a line a little forward vertically of the axial line of said sign;Fig. 2, a central longitudinal section of our invention; Fig. 3, an endelevation (from the right side) of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a full-size brokenelevation of one corner of our cylindrical sign slide or case; and Fig.5, a broken transverse section, taken on the line m a: of Fig. l, of thecorner seen in said Fig. 4.

A represents the car-roof, B and B upright arms or standards mountedthereon, and O the sign revolubly mounted in said standards. has acircular flanged base which accommodates the securing bolts or screws.The central bore of this standard turns inwardly at the top toward thesign, and is there made with a screw thread. The standard B is made intwo corresponding parts b 2), each having at its lower end anoutwardly-project ing ing or eye b which bears in a housing b on thecar-roof, and at its upper end a semicircular concavity b and also ahemispherical screw-threaded upright projection 5 a is a nut engagingthe two projections b when the two parts I) and b of this standard B arebrought together, back to back, and held coupled or closed, as best seenin Fig. 3.

The sign is composed of an outer skeleton frame and an inner hollowcylinder, both being square in cross-section and the latter moredestination-indicator faces, are illumi The standard'B is made hollowand forming the sign proper. The said skeleton frame comprises fourlongitudinal metal bars 0, right-angled in crosssection, and provided atone end with an inwardly-flanged head or plate cQlthe other end beingopenand provided with a surrounding band 0 Said open end is providedwith a pair of hinged doorplates 0 and c, the latter overlapping at thecenter when closed and locked by means of ordinary slide latches D D.The said internal cylinder or sign proper comprises four longitudinalmetal bars d, rightangled in cross-section, and four glass sides (2,whose longitudinal edges overlap said bars d, and are secured in placethereto by means of metal clips orsuitably-bent strips (1 arranged andsuitably secured at intervals along the four corners of the sign, asbest seen in Figs. 2, 4, and 5. Bars d are secured and braced at theiropposite ends to open square frames or heads 61 The glass sides (1 arepreferably of the color to suit that of the route or line over which thecar is passing, and letters such as in the word Norwood, Fig. l areeither painted thereon or etched clear and transparent in thesurrounding colored ground. This internal cylinder is readily slid intoand from place within the skeleton frame through its open end when thedoors 0 and c are thrown open, and spaces or open panels between thebars of said skeleton frame allow the presentation to View of the glasssignplates 01, as best seen in Fig. 1.

E represents a central longitudinal shaft passing through the sign, asuitable opening being made in the end head a, and registeringsemicircular notches in the contiguous edges of the door-plates c c forthe outwardlyprojectingends thereof, which latter rest in the'openingsat the upper ends of the standards 'B and B. One end of this shaft isscrew-threaded to engage the threaded opening in the upper end ofstandard B, thus making the shaft a non-revolving or stationary one, andthe other end is left smooth to simply rest in the circular openingformed by the registering concavities b at the upper end of standard'13. The shaft is preferably composed of hollow materialsuch as ordinarygas-pipe or the likeand is bent laterally intermediate its ends toprovide a central position for the illuminator F, the latter being estseen in r V V met-creme r agesairi rat her and-the g by" presentunnecessary backward movemen and also by its friction prevent theaccidental turning of the sign while the car is in motion.

The operation is so simple and obvious that a detailed descriptionherein, beyond that given in connection with the above description ofthe several parts, would be superfluous; but we desire to state that thesign is welladapted for both day and night use, convenient to changeexposed fronts from one destinationpoint to the other without getting onthe dash or climbing on the car, and also readily cleaned, repaired, andsign-plates rearranged, replaced, or exchanged.

To remove the inner sliding cylinder or sign proper when desired, thenut a is removed from the top of standard B,-when the two parts of thelatter drop to either side on their lower hinges. Then the latches onthe doors 0 c are thrown back, permitting the latter to open and saidcylinder to be readily drawn forth lengthwise and then replaced.

The bend in the shaft is so arranged that it will not cast a forwardshadow or intervene between the illuminator and the front signplate.

iVe claim-- tie thence aid 53 said sh ft 'tiiG Qii-lfiifi he eperatercn:the p-latforrnzbelcw tially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a street-car sign, the combination of a stationary hollow-shafthaving a bend or offset therein, and a suitable illuminatingdevicemounted in said offset; a pair of standards for supporting the oppositeends of said shaft, one standard being hollow and receiving in its upperlateral opening the screwthreaded end of said shaft, and the otherstandard being made in two corresponding parts hinged at their lowerends upon the oar-roof, and divisibly coupled at their upper ends bymeans of a suitable nut; a transparent-sided sign having an internalsleeve. which latter is mounted on said shaft free to permit therotation ofsaid sign thereover; and a sprocket wheel and chain mechanismhaving a suitable ratchet and spring-pawl device, leading from said signto the under side of the car-roof convenient to the motorman or driver;substantially as herein set forth.

JOSEPH M. PETER. \VINFIELD GARRETT. Witnesses:

GEORGE EDWIN HEMMINos, GEO. H. MARTIN.

IOC

